15 al-Shabab fighters, 17 military forces killed in Somalia

Press TV
Wednesday, April 11, 2012

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Clashes between al-Shabab fighters and Somalia’s military forces have claimed the lives of at least 15 fighters and 17 troops, Press TV reports.

The clash broke out on Wednesday after al-Shabab fighters carried ambush attacks at a Somali military base near Sarkusta checkpoint in the outskirts of South Mogadishu Afgoye main road.

At least 15 fighters and 17 troops were killed in the clashes while al-Shabab fighters set fire to two Somali troop vehicles, military officials told Press TV.

Meanwhile, al-Shabab senior Sheikh Mohamed Abu Abdirahaman claimed that over 30 troops were killed in the battle.

The attacks come days after al-Shabab fighters vowed to intensify their deadly attacks against the country’s transitional government and their foreign military supporters.

Al-Shabab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohammud Dhere issued a warning statement on April 5, threatening more attacks against foreign troops. The statement came a day after the militant group carried out a deadly bomb attack in the capital, Mogadishu.

“Yesterday’s bomb attack was meant to send a clear message to the apostate government, to tell them that the enemy forces they invited into the country will not protect them. We can and will attack them anywhere and anytime,” he stated.

The weak Western-backed transitional government in Mogadishu has been battling al-Shabab fighters for the past five years and is propped up by thousands of African Union forces from Uganda, Burundi, and Djibouti.

Somalia has not had a functioning government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

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